Proverbs 31:21-23

New English Translation

Footnotes

1. Proverbs 31:21 tn The first word of the twelfth line begins with ל (lamed), the twelfth letter of the Hebrew alphabet.
2. Proverbs 31:21 tn The imperfect verb (תִירָא, tiraʾ) is used in its past habitual sense. The verbs describing the woman from verses 12-29 include 19 perfects and 9 preterites which describe actions with past time references. Thus the four imperfect verbs that describe her (vv. 14, 18, 21, 27) should be understood as modal and operating in a past time frame.
3. Proverbs 31:21 sn “Snow” is a metonymy of adjunct; it refers to the cold weather when snow comes. The verse is saying that this time is not a concern for the wise woman because the family is well prepared.
4. Proverbs 31:21 tn For the MT’s “scarlet” the LXX and the Latin have “two” or “double”—the difference being essentially the vocalization of a plural as opposed to a dual. The word is taken in the versions with the word that follows (“covers”) to mean “double garments.” The question to be asked is whether scarlet would keep one warm in winter or double garments. The latter is the easier reading and therefore suspect.
5. Proverbs 31:22 tn The word “because” does not occur in the Hebrew in this verse, but continues to apply from the end of verse 21. It is added to both halves of this verse for clarity.
6. Proverbs 31:22 tn The verb (עָשְׂתָה; ʿas^etah) is the Hebrew perfect form of a dynamic verb. It contains background material in a causal clause and so is past perfect in English translation.
7. Proverbs 31:22 tn The first word of the thirteenth line begins with מ (mem), the thirteenth letter of the Hebrew alphabet. The word rendered “coverlets” appears in 7:16, where it has the idea of “covered.” K&D 17:335 suggests “pillows” or “mattresses” here. The Greek version has “lined overcoats” or “garments,” but brings over the last word of the previous verse to form this line and parallel the second half, which has clothing in view.
8. Proverbs 31:22 sn The “fine linen” refers to expensive clothing (e.g., Gen 41:42), as does the “purple” (e.g., Exod 26:7; 27:9, 18). Garments dyed with purple indicated wealth and high rank (e.g., Song 3:5). The rich man in Luke 16:19 was clothed in fine linen and purple as well. The difference is that the wise woman is charitable, but he is not.
9. Proverbs 31:23 tn The first word of the fourteenth line begins with נ (nun), the fourteenth letter of the Hebrew alphabet.tn The form is the Niphal participle of יָדַע (yadaʿ); it means that her husband is “known.” The point is that he is a prominent person, respected in the community. While the description of the wife’s work is given in the past tense (primarily through perfect and preterite verbs), the husband is described in the present tense with a participle. Her husband’s status has resulted to some degree from her faithful work and was not confined to the past but continues into the present time frame of the passage.
10. Proverbs 31:23 tn Heb “gate”; the term “city” has been supplied in the translation for clarity.sn The “gate” was the area inside the entrance to the city, usually made with rooms at each side of the main street where there would be seats for the elders. This was the place of assembly for the elders who had judicial responsibilities.
11. Proverbs 31:23 tn The construction uses the infinitive construct with the preposition and a pronominal suffix that serves as the subject (subjective genitive) to form a temporal clause. The fact that he “sits with the elders” means he is one of the elders; he sits as a judge among the people.